Sudden lameness, obvious distress

[Eggcessive]

It is a lot easier to tube water twice a day than to give sun-Q fluids, and you can add electrolytes. Raw egg, yogurt will also fit through the feeding tube.

 

[Sarahh_Janeyy]

It is a lot easier to tube water twice a day than to give sun-Q fluids, and you can add electrolytes. Raw egg, yogurt will also fit through the feeding tube.

Yeah the last month+ we were giving emeraid (powdered omnivore food), poultry drench, b-12, and probiotics. But he said to just give plain water in addition because it is more easily absorbed through the crop membranes.

 

[Sarahh_Janeyy]

I walked out of the room and when I came back I saw this (Hennifer is the barred rock and Pepper is the splash Ameraucana):

It's been a while since Pepper jumped up like that, I assume Hennifer just followed her.

 

[Sarahh_Janeyy]

So it's been like 3 weeks. We had gotten to weekly visits to the vet to get extra fluids. We have been giving Pepper extra fluids by tube because she just wasn't drinking enough on her own. Both girls have been on Tylosin once daily, and Meloxicam every other day. The last time I posted was really a turning point for Pepper, she's been getting better since then.
Last Friday I brought both girls in for a recheck and fluids. Hennifer's respiration is less labored now. After being told she is probably internally laying and has inflammation/infection displacing her organs and causing pressure to her air sacs, I honestly didn't think she was going to improve. Something still seems a little off but I'm not sure if it's because Pepper is feeling SO much better that she's dominating the food. Pepper laid 2 soft eggs and then laid 2 perfect small eggs that were entirely calcified, smooth, and not abnormal at all. Even before this bout of illness, her eggs were always abnormal in one way or another. I don't know what to make of this other than she probably also had some inflammation affecting her egg production. Also had been hoping to keep Pepper out of lay by keeping the photoperiod she's exposed to short, but she seems to have ignored that.
Vet said that since Pepper is doing better and she has been on Tylosin for a full month we could stop the medicine and see how she does. I'm a little reticent, very worried she'll backslide, but I guess they can't stay on antibiotics and anti-inflammatories forever, so cross your fingers for her! Hennifer is still on her medications since she's doing well but isn't 100% - I don't know if she will ever be. She's now really attached to Pepper and makes the saddest noises when we take Pepper away to give fluids.
They both really want to be outside (and Pepper is VERY vocal about this) so we have been putting them outside until around 4pm - we have a run that you can close off and have 2 separate areas when we need to. So they are next to the rest of the flock without danger of them fighting.
It's been rough but things are looking better. I really thought I was going to lose both of them a month ago. It's so hard since chickens rarely show they are ill until they are on their last legs. It is so hard to bring them back from the brink of death but it's crazy how you'd never know anything was wrong when they are feeling better. Here's hoping I'm not jinxing it.

 

[Sarahh_Janeyy]

Update: Pepper did in fact backslide taking her off the anti-inflammatories and antibiotic. She started to get diarrhea and dehydrated again and stopped laying, so we put her back on it. She's back to laying eggs. I hope she doesn't have to be on this forever, but..

I think a hormone implant would really help both of these girls, but can't get that here.
https://poultrydvm.com/drugs/deslorelin
I was reading the cases on Poultry DVM and I'm wondering how people got vets to do this. My vet said it's illegal, as per FDA because chickens are "food animals" so his hands are tied. Wondering if anyone else has had any luck getting implants done (legally) with a waiver or special program or something like that?

Vet said regardless we would be treating whatever is causing her diarrhea/dehydration and she's been responding to those medications so that's the best course of action anyway.
As for Hennifer, he had less good news for me there, and just keep her on the medicine since she's also seemed to improve, but may never get better. I really wish I could get her an implant so I don't have to be concerned over whether or not she's still pumping egg yolks into her coelom and making her peritonitis worse

 

[Eggcessive]

Update: Pepper did in fact backslide taking her off the anti-inflammatories and antibiotic. She started to get diarrhea and dehydrated again and stopped laying, so we put her back on it. She's back to laying eggs. I hope she doesn't have to be on this forever, but..

I think a hormone implant would really help both of these girls, but can't get that here.
https://poultrydvm.com/drugs/deslorelin
I was reading the cases on Poultry DVM and I'm wondering how people got vets to do this. My vet said it's illegal, as per FDA because chickens are "food animals" so his hands are tied. Wondering if anyone else has had any luck getting implants done (legally) with a waiver or special program or something like that?

Vet said regardless we would be treating whatever is causing her diarrhea/dehydration and she's been responding to those medications so that's the best course of action anyway.
As for Hennifer, he had less good news for me there, and just keep her on the medicine since she's also seemed to improve, but may never get better. I really wish I could get her an implant so I don't have to be concerned over whether or not she's still pumping egg yolks into her coelom and making her peritonitis worse

I would ask a question about where to find a hormone implant for your hen in northern FL or southern GA. Someone might reply or PM you.

 

[Sarahh_Janeyy]

I'll do that, thanks @Eggcessive
I did a search on the boards and found this change.org petition, though it's from 2022. I signed it and chipped in. Would be great to get this changed. Sigh.

https://www.change.org/p/ask-fda-to...n=share_for_starters_page&utm_medium=copylink